The Unlock Futures alliance launched its Protecting Children Action Paper at the World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit in Malta, it said on October 9.
The paper is aimed at hotels, airlines, gaming operators, venues and tour operators, the sectors covered by its case studies. Its survey finds 70% of businesses say their industry is aware of the need to protect children, yet only 40% have formal child protection policies and procedures in place.
Almost half of respondents, 48%, name a lack of expertise as the biggest challenge, while only one in 10 consult children when designing policies. The research covered more than 50 organisations, plus a further dozen interviews, across 25 countries.
The Bicester Collection convened the alliance through its philanthropic programme DO GOOD. The paper was developed with the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, ECPAT International and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). It follows a pledge made at the WTTC Global Summit in Rome a year earlier, when more than 100 business leaders signed the Shared Promise to make child protection a non-negotiable standard.
The paper sets out a three-step framework. CARE asks businesses to make a senior leader accountable. ACT asks them to identify where children may be vulnerable and put in place policies, procedures, training and reporting channels. SCALE extends protection to operators, contractors and wider supply chains by learning with peers and working with expert partners.
“Our sector has already taken significant steps to protect children, strengthening reporting mechanisms, investing in employee training and building partnerships across destinations worldwide,” said Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of WTTC.
“Protecting children is not something we can leave to others,” said Desirée Bollier, Chair and Global Chief Merchant of The Bicester Collection. “As leaders, we shape the places people visit, the experiences they have and the communities in which we operate.”
Dr Najat Maalla M’jid, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, said the paper provides “a concrete, industry-informed tool” for embedding child protection across value chains. WTTC also called for stronger child protection laws at the summit, as Emerging Travel reported.
The Action Paper is available at www.UnlockFuturesProtectingChildren.com.